German Mulled White Wine

German Mulled White Wine is a twist on the classic mulled wine recipe that uses white wine in place of red wine.  With the addition of a few common spices and some citrus fruits, you get a slightly sweet and citrus flavoured drink that is warm and delicious for a holiday party. 

What is Gluhwein?

Gluhwein is a spiced wine that is usually made with red wine and then adds classic mulled wine spices but sometimes also raisins.  However, while it is traditional to use red wine, you can also swap this for white wine to make a slightly different version of the drink.  The citrus fruits work really well with the citrus flavours of the white wine.

What’s the best white wine to use?

Aim for a white wine that is dry and not sweet.  Most wine experts recommend something like Eastern European wine as opposed to ones from Australia or New Zealand as their Reisling tends to be much sweeter. A simple oaked chardonnay will also work great and that’s what we used here.

What you need to make mulled white wine

• Apple
• Oranges
• Lemon
• Cinnamon sticks
• Whole cloves
• Cardamom pods
• Star anise pods
• 750 ml. bottle white wine 
• Rum
• Honey or maple syrup

How to make the recipe

Combine all ingredients in a medium, non-reactive pot.

Place on medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer – be mindful of the heat as you don’t want to cook out the alcohol.

Simmer the wine mixture for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours on a low setting if you are using a slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Serve into glasses and garnish with more fruit and spices. 

Storing the recipe

If there’s any of the wine left afterwards, you can store it.  The best way to do it is to strain out the citrus and the spices so they don’t go mouldy if they end up sitting outside the wine.  Once the wine is cool, pop the pitcher in the fridge and store for up to 3 days.

To reheat it add the spices and citrus back in (or some fresh) and use a microwave at 30 second increments so that you don’t burn out the alcohol.

Recipe tips

Use whole spices where possible as these offer the best flavour but also are easy to scoop them out when you come to serve the drink.  If you use ground spices, they will make the drink bitty and not so pleasant as well as tending to be much stronger in flavour.

Instead of rum, you can also try adding some brandy or cognac into the drink.  You can also try one of the orange flavoured liqueurs such as Grand Marnier which will pick up the citrus flavours from the fruit and enhance it.

Some people do add a little water to the mixture to stop it being too strong.  If you want the party to last longer, consider adding 1 part water to 3 parts wine or even a 1:2 ratio.  You can substitute it with the orange juice if you want a milder taste.